Sickness and Health
by Rokubi
Summary: Shepard is in bed sick with a fever and Garrus ends up taking care of her. He doesn't mind, she's his friend after all, but the experience leaves him with some new feelings he wasn't prepared for. When Garrus falls ill himself, it is Shepard's turn to care for him and get a crash course in what he really means to her. (Happy New Year!)
1. Part I: The Love Bug

**Title:** Sickness and Health

**Disclaimer:** All characters belong to Bioware.

**Beta Reader: **Marie-Fanwriter

**Summary:** Shepard is in bed sick with a fever and Garrus ends up taking care of her. He doesn't mind, she's his friend after all, but the experience leaves him with some new feelings he wasn't prepared for. When Garrus falls ill himself, it is Shepard's turn to care for him and get a crash course in what he really means to her.

* * *

Part I: Sickness

Chapter One

**The Love Bug**

It was late on the _Normandy_ as Garrus Vakarian entered the Mess Hall. The bulk of the crew had already retired to bed, with only a few personnel milling around on night shift sparing him halfhearted glances as he passed. He was dressed in the only pair of civilian clothes he had and—for a rare moment—was without his visor, he had just come out to grab a quick bite to eat before going to bed.

Considering how late it was, it was odd to hear someone talking so loudly.

"Oh come on!" Kasumi Goto was standing near the med-bay doors, shoulders hunched and holding a sliver tray tight in her small hands. "I'll get sick too!" she complained. "Why not send Thane or Samara or—Garrus!" The thief happily chirped as she spotted him looking at her from near the kitchen.

In the doorway, just out of Garrus' view, someone shifted and gave a long—clearly annoyed—sigh. "Doesn't matter _who_. Just _needs_ to be _done_," Mordin Solus' voice scolded.

Kasumi looked back at the doctor and lightly stomped her foot. "But I'll get _sick_." She all but whined. "I hate being sick."

Garrus, against his better judgment and reason, walked over to the two.

"Who's sick?" He asked, eyeing the contents of the tray. There was a bowl of hot soup and a bottle of some orange liquid.

Mordin was glaring at the thief. "You're completely health. Her immune system is still not recovered. Needs to be cared for. You are familiar with human care and what she needs."

"Then send Miranda," Kasumi argued, but sighed after a second. "Okay, _not_ Miranda. How 'bout… no not Jack or Zaeed… or Jacob… or Kelly… she would _kill_ us for sending Kelly… Joker?" Kasumi sighed again. "I don't _wanna_ get sick."

"Who's sick?" Garrus repeated, but had a good idea after hearing the list. He just wanted to be sure first before rushing off to check on her.

Mordin looked at him and answered, "The commander has caught a common human flu. Should work its way out of her system naturally. Needs the experience. Her body has been in a sterile environment for two years. Needs to fight off virus herself."

"But someone has to take care of her," Kasumi added. "Nothing much. Just make sure she eats and is comfortable." She slowly scooted closer to him. "And if you have _any_ problems I'm just two floors down." She was pushing the tray into his reluctant hands. "It'll be a piece of cake," Kasumi assured as she grinned up at him, eyes shining in the shadows of her hood.

"_Right_…" Garrus drawled. He didn't believe her for a second.

* * *

Garrus nearly dropped the metal tray as he entered Commander Shepard's room. EDI had let him in without any trouble, but it was so dark in her room that he tripped over something. "EDI, lights," Garrus called, looking around the dark room only lit by the fish tank and skylight.

The room flared with light and he saw it was a discarded piece of clothing that had caught his foot. A pained cry from the commander's bed made him trip and almost drop the tray again. Once steady on his feet, Garrus saw the commander was curled into a ball with a puffy pillow pulled over her head.

Shepard let out long groan. "EDI," she weakly called with a hoarse voice. "Lights; turn them back _off_."

"Officer Vakarian is here to assist you in your current state. Light is advised." EDI's reply was in her normal even tone, but Garrus swore there was some humor mixed into the AI's voice.

"Garrus?" Shepard called out confused as she pushed the pillow away from her face. Her eyes were cloudy and her skin looked flushed, but she still smiled when she saw him. Garrus returned it and made his way to her side.

"EDI, you can dim them a bit, and turn down your speakers too." Garrus had noticed Shepard flinch at the volume the AI spoke with. The lights dimmed and EDI logged them out.

"Soup?" Shepard propped her pillows behind her and leaned back heavily on them. "You brought me soup?"

Garrus, seeing no other choice, sat next to her on the bed and Shepard slid over to give him ample space. "And orange stuff too," he said as he grinned at her. "So _how_ sick are you? Kasumi caused a real fuss when Mordin tried to send her up here."

Shepard chuckled as she rubbed her bare arms. She was in a white tank top and the covers were pooling at her hips. "Just a fever, sore throat, and a headache. Could be worse," she said with a small shrug.

"Fever?" Garrus placed the tray on her nightstand and pressed his palm to her head and, sure enough, she was hot. He may not be an expert on humans but, from the few times he had touched them, they'd never been that hot. It worried him.

Shepard shied away from his prolonged touch and Garrus pulled away, slightly embarrassed as he was lost in thought. Things had been odd between them since she helped him deal with Sidonis. It was just sometimes—more now than before— he would forget that she was his captain, all he saw was his friend.

"Here," he reached for the tray and placed it gently on her lap. "Eat then rest up. I'll be back later to get the dishes." Her hand was on his arm before he could move to stand.

"Stay," she asked. "I can use the company. Or are you really going to leave a sick woman all alone?" She teased at the end with a weak smile and Garrus playfully gave an exaggerated sigh.

"I'll stay for a bit then."

* * *

Garrus blinked. He must have fallen asleep at some point, as his head felt muddy with sleep and his body was painfully stiff. In his hand was the data-pad he was using to review the cannons specs. He was still sitting on Shepard's bed; leaning back on the headboard with one leg off the side. Garrus moved to leave but the pressure on his hips stopped him.

Looking down, Garrus saw Shepard was curled at his side, arms around his waist and her face buried into his stomach. She was shivering lightly and somehow both of her legs were tangled with his. The covers were kicked away and he saw she was wearing pajama bottoms.

Garrus sat the data-pad on her nightstand and reached down to pull the covers around her shoulders. He presses his palm to her head and noted she felt hotter than before. Worried, Garrus pinged Kasumi and messaged her; _her fever's up._

Garrus tried not to move much as he waited for Kasumi's reply, as he didn't want to risk waking Shepard. Thankfully it didn't take long for the thief to answer him.

Kasumi Goto: _Get a cold, wet rag and put it on her forehead. Did she eat? _

_She ate. She's asleep right now_.

Kasumi Goto: _How long she's been sleep?_

…_Don't know. I kinda feel asleep too…_

Kasumi Goto: _…You do know I'm gonna want details later? _

For some reason Garrus ducked his head and his mandibles fluttered.

_It's… not like that. I'm just keeping her company. _

Kasumi Goto: _Company my ass, but whatever. Since you're staying with her make sure the rag stays cool. If she gets worse call Mordin or Chakwas. _

_All right. _

Garrus pulled away from Shepard's grip and eased her onto her back. She moved without resistance and he headed to her restroom once she was settled. He got a clean rag and wet it with cold water. Feeling that maybe it wasn't cold enough he let the water run for a bit longer before wetting the rag again. He rung it out and noticed it now felt _too_ cold, but figured he could always let it warm up if need be. Leaving the bathroom he wondered if he was over thinking things… but shrugged it off as he returned to his commander.

Back at Shepard's side, Garrus placed the cloth on her head and he was surprised when she sighed out almost happily in her sleep. He fixed the sheets around her again and settled down on the couch with his data-pad in hand. But he ended up jumping up and checking on the temperature of both the cloth and Shepard so much that he ended up sitting on the floor, back against her bed.

Once the cloth cooled he wetted again and resumed monitoring the cannons, until he grew bored.

_How long until her fever breaks?_

Turian fevers never lasted more than a day and he wondered if humans were the same.

Kasumi Goto: _You're still up? _

_You said keep the rag cool, so that's what I'm doing._

Her response took longer than normal.

Kasumi Goto: _Hopefully she'll be better by morning. Don't worry._

Garrus sighed before changing the rag again. He took a moment to feed her fish and the little furry thing Shepard named Blasto before sitting back by her bed. No wonder Kasumi didn't want to do this, it was boring as hell. A ping on his tool surprised him.

Kasumi Goto: _You still up there? Has she woken up?_

_Still here. Still asleep._

Kasumi Goto: _I'll come up and keep an eye on her for a bit, if you want._

Garrus thought about it.

_It's fine. I'm already here and it's not like it's any trouble. Plus, weren't you just complaining about getting sick? _

Kasumi Goto: _You sure? You know she'll be alright by herself for a bit if you needed to come down and eat or something_.

Garrus felt embarrassed. He didn't _need_ to stay in her room the whole time. He knew that, it was just… he wasn't sure _what_ it was. He just knew he wanted to make sure she was okay, no matter how long it took.

_I know. _

So he went down and grabbed him something to eat, like he was originally trying to do when he left the battery hours ago. He ate then cleaned his dishes before making his way back to the elevator, but was stopped by an annoyingly chipper voice.

"So," Kasumi grinned from across the mess, clearly still trying not to get sick from any human germs that might be clinging to him. "How's your sleeping beauty?"

"My what?" Garrus' voice came out choppy and Kasumi chuckled.

"Chill, it's an expression."

Garrus sighed and shook his head as he made his way to the elevator.

"Garrus, wait a sec," Kasumi stopped him and rushed into the kitchen. She heated some water and poured it into a mug with a tea bag. She let it sit for a minute before removing the bag, adding some other ingredients he wasn't sure about, and covered the mug. She handed it to him. "Wake her up and make sure she drinks all of it."

Garrus took that mug and nodded as he left. Back up at the loft Garrus looks around puzzled as he sat the mug down on Shepard's desk.

"Shepard?" he called.

She wasn't in bed and her covers seemed to be in a ball on the floor….

"Shepard?" He tried again. "Did you… fall?"

He heard a muffled reply and the ball shifted a few helpless times. Chuckling, he knelt down next to the pile of covers and pulled Shepard free. She looked at him, eyes red and cloudy, and smiled.

"Garrus," she reached out and wrapped her arms weakly around him. "You're _so_ awesome."

Garrus lifted her into his arms and laughed. "Damn, I should have recorded that." He laid her gently on the bed and shook apart the covers. "It's not often you admit it." He draped the sheets over her and went to get her tea.

"No," she whispered, suddenly sad. Garrus froze at her odd tone and looked back. "Don't go." Her eyes started to close and a tear drifted down her cheek. "Don't go."

Not sure what the hell just happened, Garrus shrugged it off and retrieved her tea. Then, seeing that she had fallen back asleep, he gently nudged her awake.

"Garrus," she smiled and this time his heart gave a strange flutter. Did she _always_ smile when she saw him? Why didn't he notice it before? "What's that?" She questioned as her hazy eyes fell onto the mug in his hands.

"Tea," he answered as he pulled her up to lean on his chest. He opened the top of the mug and blew on it until it was safe for her to drink. "Here, Kasumi made it."

Shepard took a small sip and made a face, but Garrus made her drink until it was all gone. He sat the empty mug on the nightstand and laid her back down. He looked around for her rag and re-wetted it. She was looking at him as he returned, eyes alert for the moment.

"I see the tea helped," he said as he placed the rag on her head. He tucked her in more securely, not wanting her to end up on the floor again. "Go back to sleep. I'll be here if you need anything."

He sat down, back on the floor, and near jumped as Shepard wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Thank-you," she whispered, firmly kissing his cheek.

"F-For what?" Blood rushed to his face and his heart jumped from the strange contact.

"For staying with me. For taking care of me. You're a good friend Garrus." She kissed him again. "And I'm lucky to have you."

Garrus slipped from her grip, eased her back under the sheets, and replaced the rag on her head. "Yes, you are," he agreed with a half-grin. "You can flatter me when you're better, Shepard." She gave a weak smile before closing her eyes.

Once he was sure she was sleep he watched her for a bit as he touched a finger to his cheek.

'_Friend….'_

* * *

Garrus woke to the sound of Shepard breathing hard. She had kicked the covers away in her sleep and she was covered in sweat. Her hair was clinging to her head and her tank top was molded to her body. He reached out and pulled her shirt down from where it had risen to show a good deal of her flat stomach.

_She's sweating a lot._

When he didn't get a response quick enough he was ready to pick Shepard up and take her to the med-bay, but luckily Kasumi answered just as he was reaching down for her.

Kasumi Goto: _She's sweating the fever out. It will pass._

_Are you sure?_

Kasumi Goto: _Yes, I'm sure. Just sit with her._

Garrus got a dry rag and used it to mop up her sweat. He dabbed at her face and neck and got a wet one to place on her head. Her face turned and nuzzled his palm just as he was pulling his hand away. Garrus jerked back at the strange bolt of… something that shot through him at her touch.

"Don't go," she called softly. Her eyes cracked open and she looked at him with a dazed expression. "You left." Tears pooled in her eyes.

Garrus gently rubbed her neck with the cloth. "I'm right here," he assured.

"No." She was breathing harder. "You left and I died."

Garrus froze.

"You left. Why did you leave?"

"I… had to…" he said weakly. He asked himself that same question for two years.

"C-Sec? You hate C-Sec," she mumbled as she looked away. "Do you think I would have lived if you stayed?"

"I…."

"Liara let me go to save Joker… would you have?"

Garrus felt his mouth flop open a few useless times before he was able to answer. That was something he had thought about too. "No. I… I would have dragged you back, kicking and screaming if I had to, and radioed Joker to move his ass."

"Joker would have died…" She looked back at him. "So it's good you left." Her eyes closed before he could say anything else.

She was asleep in a heartbeat and Garrus placed the cloth on her head before he slipped off her bed onto the floor. He leaned back to stare at the stars above them.

'_Don't go.'_

He wasn't going anywhere.

Never again.

* * *

When Shepard woke next her fever was gone. Her throat was still sore but her head felt better.

"Thanks, Garrus." Shepard was sipping more of Kasumi's tea. Her eyes were bright but her skin was still a little flushed. "Never had anyone take care of me like that. I'll make sure to add nursemaid to your list of special skills," she teased with a smile he was oddly aware of; like it was the only thing in the room that mattered.

Garrus laughed. He made sure to laugh and smile at all the right moments as he tried to tell how much she remembered from last night. But either she didn't remember or she was skillfully pretending she didn't.

"I should go get some rest," Garrus stood to leave after letting out another long yawn and Shepard's smile fell a bit.

"Alright, I'll see you later."

Garrus watched her for a second before leaning down and pressing his mouth to her forehead in an imitation of a human kiss. "I'm glad you're better," he mumbled against her skin before pulling away and quickly leaving her room.

In the elevator he touched his tingling mouth, confused by what made him do that and why his heart was racing. Why his arms and legs felt weak and shaky?

Why his commander's smile was stuck in his head?

* * *

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**A/N: **Originally I planned on writing this alongside _Archangel_, since _Archangel_ is not really _friendly_ to all readers and this is nothing but romance and fluff. But things… didn't workout like that.

I had sent this to a new beta to edit (this was during finals/midterm season and I didn't want to bug one person to much with my crazy) and then didn't hear back from that person for a full month. I was concerned that something had happened to them (didn't know them, but the oddness of no response for so long bugged me) and when they finally answered they said the story was too bad to finish editing.

Okay, I get that. Sometimes you hit, sometimes you miss. But why not _tell_ me? For a full month? Did they think I was going to forget? I just don't get it.

Well, enough ranting. I reworked it and thanks a million to Marie-Fanwriter, who is always a lifesaver. There are a few more chapters written, I'm just second guessing everything right now -.-


	2. Part I: Let Me Hold Your Hair

**Disclaimer:** All characters belong to Bioware.

**Beta Reader:** Marie-Fanwriter

* * *

Part I: Sickness

Chapter Two

**Let Me Hold Your Hair**

Commander Shepard didn't know why things were so weird around her good friend and Gunnery Officer, Garrus Vakarian. Ever since he took care of her when she was ill he'd been steering clear of her. And the _few_ times they ended up in the same area, she caught him looking at her with a funny expression she couldn't place. She wondered if she'd said anything she shouldn't when she was feverish, but couldn't remember much from that night. Just his surprisingly soft touches and him diligently changing her wet cloth when it was needed.

The temptation to ask EDI was there, but that felt like it would be a violation of his trust; like going behind his back. If there was a problem between them then, as his friend, she owed it to him to be direct. Plus, she wasn't willing to put any strain on their relationship, not when everything around her was a constant source of stress. She didn't know what she would do without Garrus there.

So, Shepard was now walking to the battery, ready to confront the turian about his odd behavior, but stopped short at the med-bay windows. Through the glass she could see Garrus sitting on one of the beds with Chakwas hovering beside him taking his pulse.

"Is everything alright?" Shepard asked, concerned as she quickly entered the room. Garrus' eyes met hers and his mandibles did an odd, fluttering movement. Chakwas chuckled as she pulled her stethoscope away from him.

"It's seems that Garrus here has caught a little bug," Chakwas said as she gave Shepard a sly look.

Not understanding the look, and feeling a knot of worry form in her gut, Shepard asked, "From me?"

Chakwas only laughed again. "No dear, that's not possible. Most likely brought it on himself, with how he's been running himself ragged these days."

"You'll thank all my hard work the next time the _Normandy's_ in a fight," Garrus said in annoyance and Shepard noted his voice sounded strangely flat.

Chakwas lightly patted his shoulder. "Well, _until then_ I can harass you about taking better care of yourself. I heard how well you took care of the commander last week. Now if only you could give half as much time to yourself." Again, his mandibles did the strange fluttering motion as he stole a glance at Shepard before looking back at the doctor.

Chakwas smiled as she looked at Shepard. "If you're not busy, Commander, could you make sure he takes himself to the crew quarters? That cot of his in the battery will not due in his state. He's on twenty-four hour bed rest."

Garrus groaned. "I'm fine." He moved to stand and Shepard was shocked to see him stumble. Chakwas placed a hand on him to steady him.

The doctor met her eyes and Shepard nodded while asking, "What else does he need?"

"I already gave him some pills to lessen his fever. Just rest is needed."

Shepard walked over and laced her arm around his waist. Garrus slowly placed his arm around her shoulder and leaned his weight on her. He was heavy, but nothing she couldn't handle. Once outside of the room Shepard steered them to the elevator.

For a moment Garrus stopped and put up a bit of resistance. "Commander?"

"My bed's bigger," she said simply as she pulled him along. "Plus, I believe I owe you one. So you get to rest up with _me_ playing nurse." Shepard chuckled as she looked up at him. "Lucky you."

Once in her room she had him sit on her bed and she rummaged through her drawer for something for him to wear. "You can't sleep in that armor," she told him as she caught his questioning gaze.

Garrus rubbed his head and closed his eyes. "It's fine. I sleep in it sometimes."

Shepard stopped her search and walked next to him. His eyes were still closed and he jumped when she touched her hand to his head. He looked at her, wide eyed, but Shepard had jumped back herself at that point.

"You're on _fire_!" she gapped in panic. "I should take you back to the med-bay or—" Garrus' soft laugh made her freeze.

He flared his mandibles in a grin. "I'm just naturally hotter, remember? It may seem alarming, but it's just a little fever."

"Are you sure?" She asked as she reached out to touch his cheek. He leaned into her touch before pulling back and looking away. She pulled her hand away, her palm tingling.

He ducked his head. "I'm sure."

She watched him for a second before turning back to her dresser. "Well, I still don't want your dirty armor all in my bed."

"I don't think we're the same size, Shepard."

She sighed as she gave up. "Fine. I guess your undersuit will do then." She caught herself as she moved to help him out of his armor. Damn, why was she acting like he was helpless? "I'll be right back. So settle in." His eyes met hers and he gave a slow nod as she left.

* * *

When Shepard returned, a tray of dextro food in hand (Tali had told her what to pick as 'sick' food), her room was dim and Garrus was lying on her bed. She sat the tray on her coffee table and slowly ventured closer to him. He was lying flat on his stomach, his back bare, and covers over his narrow hips, the edge of his pants barely visible. His arms were under a pillow and his eyes closed. His visor sat on her bedside table, powered off for a rare moment. Carefully, she pulled the covers up to his shoulders and around his cowl. Then she went to the bathroom and returned with two cool rags, placing one on his neck and the other on his head.

"You don't have to do that." His voice startled her, as she though he was asleep. Garrus cracked an eye open and Shepard smiled down at him.

"I'm just returning the favor," she said as she sat on the bed. She debated with herself for a few seconds before she gently pressed down and rubbed his back through the covers.

He looked away and mumbled, "Is that all?"

She frowned at his tone. "Garrus?" Her hand was still rubbing his back and she moved to gently touch his shoulder.

"Nothing, Shepard. Nothing," he said quickly. "Just… thanks." He closed his eyes, seemingly falling asleep, and Shepard was left confused.

* * *

Shepard was heading back up to check on Garrus. She felt bad she couldn't stay by his side like he did hers, but in just a few more hours her shift would be over and she could properly care for him. She didn't know why she was enjoying caring for the sick turian, but she was. He was just so… cute sometimes. Maybe her motherly side was trying to take over? With how doting she was being, it was quiet possible.

Because, exactly how many commanders have she heard of that tuck in their subordinates when ill? Who take the time to read cannon specs out loud like it's a damn bedtime story, both because she refused to let him strain his eyes, which were blurry from his sickness, and he was on the verge of going down himself to see the 'damage' crewman Hawthorne was doing while taking over his shift. And even with Anderson—by far the most lax CO she'd ever served under and somewhat of a father figure to her—the idea of _him_ tucking _her_ in bed was absolutely _absurd_.

But it was _Garrus_ she was taking care of, and for some reason that was all the reasoning she needed.

There was a light bounce in her step as she entered her room. Last time she was up here she had woken him and made him eat his nearly cold food. They had talked and she was happy to note that things seemed to be relatively normal between them, besides a lingering look and odd pause here and there.

"Garrus?" Shepard did a quick scan of the empty room and grew annoyed at the idea that he'd left without letting her know. A sound from the bathroom made her turn and approach it. Seeing that the door didn't open, she lightly knocked on it while calling his name.

"Is everything alright?" She added as she heard the same sound, only clearer, and cringed, knowing what was going on.

'_Poor thing.'_

"I'm coming in, Garrus," Shepard warned before EDI opened the door and she entered. She was met with the sight of Garrus on his knees, legs bent at the oddest angle, and arms hugging the toilet bowl. He only had on the bottom to his undersuit and in the bright bathroom lights his gray plates looked washed out and pale.

Wearily, he looked up at her and gave her a weak, crooked smile. "I blame your cooking." Shepard couldn't stop the laugh that ripped through her. Garrus looked as smug as someone losing the contents of the stomach _could_ look as she knelt down next to him.

"Hey, Tali picked it out," Shepard playfully argued. This time she didn't hesitate as she reached out and gently stroked her hand along the length of his fringe. He made a strange hum and she beheld his blues for a minute. Why hadn't she ever noticed he had the nicest eyes? She wasn't sure if she had ever seen that shade of blue before.

"Shepard… I need to talk to you about something…" he started awkwardly and she smiled as she patted his shoulder.

"Later," she said as she stood. Shepard grabbed another washcloth and wetted it before she sat down behind him. She placed the cloth on his neck and started rubbing his bare back, taking away some of the tension in him as his shoulders eased at her touch. "_After_ you're done throwing up everything you've eaten since yesterday." Then, as if on cue, he turned and vomited. She crinkled her nose at the smell but ignored it as she sat with him.

She gave a soft hum as she touched the soft skin between the hard plates on his back. "I would hold back your hair, but I think you have that covered." He didn't response but his shoulders gave a soft shake.

After fifteen minutes, Shepard could tell this was not about to end anytime soon. "EDI, let Miranda know she will be doing rounds today," she said as she pulled her jacket off and folded it, placing it the nearby shelf. "And if there are any issues she can take care of them without me."

"Understood, Commander. I shall inform Lawson," the AI responded then logged her out.

Garrus pulled back and looked at her. "You don't have to stay."

Shepard grinned. "I want to. And _not_ just because you stayed with me, Garrus. But because you're the best friend I've got and I don't mind spending the night the night figuratively holding back your hair."

Something flickered in his weary blues and Shepard felt her heart skip.

* * *

Shepard cracked her eyes open. Her back was killing her for some reason, like she just had a back massage from an elcor, and why in the _world_ were the lights so freaking _bright_? Her room's lit like a tomb, but her bathroom's like the surface of a sun? There was something hot on her stomach too, and her legs felt heavy unnaturally heavy….

Somehow she had ended up sitting propped up in the corner across from the toilet. Garrus was sprawled across the floor, laying on her legs and his long arms around her narrow waist. Her shirt had risen and he was pressing his face against the skin of her belly.

From where his head touched her, she could tell his fever was still high. She remembered him saying that turians were naturally hotter, so her skin had to feel pretty cool to him. Still, she needed to get him to bed and she was surprised by how reluctant she was to leave her current position, even with her protesting back. He just looked so peaceful, and before today she'd never seen him sleep. He was always on alert, ready to go on the next mission or just sit and chat with her. She had seen him unconscious twice before; once during a combat mission back on the SR-1 and the other on Omega, and both left images she'd rather not recall.

With a small sigh she rubbed his fringe, fingers threading into the gaps as she called his name, "Garrus." She absentmindedly continued to stroke his fringe as she waited for him to stir. Getting no response she tried again and still he didn't move. If it wasn't for his hot breath on her she would have panicked. "Garrus, big guy, you need to get up. Unless you want me to call Grunt up here," she teased with a smile.

A few seconds later her smile slipped and she called him again. She placed her hands on his shoulders, gave a firm, but gentle, shake, and still he didn't respond. "Garrus?" She shook harder and _still_ nothing.

Shepard hooked an arm under his and heaved him up. "Garrus!" she snapped in the same tone that used to make him jump on the SR-1.

Nothing, nothing, _nothing._

"Shepard." EDI's voice sounded harsh and dagger sharp to her ears, echoing in both the bathroom and her head. "I have alerted both Dr. Solus and Dr. Chakwas of Officer Vakarian's condition. They are on the way."

She stumbled to her feet with him as dead weight in her arms. She looked around, panic now clawing at her insides, and her eyes fell on the shower. It was his fever, she desperately reasoned, she needed to cool him down _then_ he'd wake up. He had to wake up!

Shepard pulled him higher and half dragged him to the shower, where she hit the cold water button. Ice cold water sprayed down around them and she gasped at the bitter sensation that made her body seize in shock. She forced herself to move farther under the water and ended up slipping on one of the newly wet tiles. Shepard banged her shoulder hard into the wall, wrestling to keep hold on Garrus as she slid down it. She ended up almost like she had woken up, with his upper body crushing hers, only now she was holding his head to her chest, keeping the water from running into his mouth and nose as it covered them.

Shepard took a deep breath and swallowed. She ran a shaky hand down his fringe.

'_Okay. Just try one more time. Just try again.' _

"Garrus, you need to wake up. Garrus… Garrus _please_… you need…" Her voice broke.

Suddenly, there were tight arms around her waist and slowly Garrus lifted his head to look at her with cloudy eyes. "Shepard? What's wrong?" There was slight panic in his voice, but she was just happy to hear it.

Water rushed down her face and Garrus reached up to brush it off her cold cheek. He pulled himself up, his body curling around hers, blocking the torrent of water as he settled on his knees and shivered as the ice water cascaded over him.

"Don't cry again," he gently soothed. Again? When had she ever cried in front of him? "I'm right here." How did he know that was the cause of her distress? "I'm right here. I'm right here." He repeated as he cupped her cheeks and pressed his head to hers, making her heart pound for a whole new reason. She may not know much about turians, but she would have to be living under a rock not to know what that gesture meant. "I'll never leave you again." Her eyes went wide as memories of last week resurfaced; her sick and crying out to him, telling him things she swore she never would. "I promise." And Garrus pressed his hard lips to hers.

'_He's sick,'_ her mind reasoned. '_He doesn't know what he's doing.'_

But she still wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer. The water's chill was nothing to his heat and Shepard basked in it. He broke the kiss to press his head to hers again.

"I'll always be here," he promised again, eyes clear for a brief moment.

And Spirits help her, she _wanted_ him to be.

* * *

The doctors gave Garrus a shot and removed him from his wet clothes and, once Chakwas and Mordin were finished checking over him, they settled him into bed. Shepard had hung back with Kasumi, who had followed the two doctors up. Shepard was too grateful for the company to question her presence and, at Kasumi's request, had changed into some dry clothes of her own.

The whole time the doctors were hovering over him, Garrus was watching Shepard with a silent gaze that Kasumi and the doctors clearly saw. And Shepard couldn't bring herself to look away.

"Shep," Kasumi started with some hesitation. "He'll be fine."

Shepard was looking through her display case from where she stood in her office, her eyes meeting his dazed ones. "I know." Shepard forced a smile on her face. "I guess I just freaked when he didn't wake up…."

"And that's understandable," Kasumi placed a hand on her shoulder. "He means a lot to you."

Shepard looked at her and nodded. "Yeah, he does… more than I knew."

Kasumi smiled, giving a gentle squeeze to her shoulder before removing her hand. "I think he feels the same." Then she grew quiet as Mordin and Chakwas approached them.

"We'll be on our way," Karin smiled and patted Shepard's arm. "You're doing a fine job taking care of him."

"Will see improvement soon, Shepard." Mordin guaranteed with a quick nod of his head.

With the doctors and Kasumi gone, Shepard sat on the edge of her bed. It was late, but she wanted to make sure Garrus was asleep before she settled down on the couch. Slowly, he seemed to become more and more aware and she was sure that whatever medicine they gave him was kicking in.

Then he shot up, making her jump, and ran a hand along his fringe. He looked at the bathroom door then back at her, his mandibles going slack.

"Shepard… I'm… I…" He rested his face in his hands. "I didn't mean to… I'm sorry." He looked up at her and the distress in his face tore at her heart.

'_I think he feels the same.'_

'_I'll always be here.' _

Sliding closer, she pulled him into a hug that he returned with slight hesitation. "I'm not." She pulled back and gave him the best reassuring look she could muster in her emotionally drained state. "How 'bout you get some rest and we'll talk about it later? You really gave me a scare."

For a moment, they just watched each other; arms still loosely holding the other. From the night he cared for her—staying faithfully by her side and concerned only for her well-being—to him not waking, something had changed in her. Something that made his simple hold powerful enough to steal the breath from her lungs and send a shower of needle like sparks down her spine. It was making her acutely aware of how much bigger he was than her and how different he was from her, and there was something _thrilling_ in that fact.

But these feelings didn't feel strange and new like she expected them to; they felt old and familiar. Felt _right_. Like they were just waiting for the right moment to surface, and now whatever was holding them at bay was gone. She found herself wishing they were free sooner, as she'd never seen anything more perfect, more alluring, than the shade of his eyes.

He started to release her, moving to lie down, but stopped mid-way. He ended up pulled her down with him, arms holding her close and face buried in her neck. Her heart was pounding, but she settled down as he fell asleep.

It didn't take long for her to follow with a smile on her face.

* * *

Kasumi yawned as she made her way down to her room and Mordin and Chakwas were standing silently next to her. She was passing through the mess when Chakwas came charging through, saying something about Garrus and Shepard. Kasumi had made it a rule not to get close to people while she was working, but seeing how this job was a lot different than what she was used to, she had ended up caring more than she should about certain people on the ship. And Garrus and Shepard were pretty high on that list of people.

The thief grinned as the elevator slowed. "They make a cute couple. Definitely got the 'in sickness' part down."

"Should be interesting." Mordin seemed truly excited as he gave a wide, salarian smile. "Not a lot of documented turian/human couples."

Kasumi snorted and said, "Yeah. I don't think you'll get much from these two. They sure do dance around their feelings."

Chakwas laughed. "You should have seen them on the SR-1. This, my dear, is _progress_." Kasumi joined her laughed, cringing on the inside at the idea of Garrus and Shepard being more oblivious than normal about their feelings. After seeing them blatantly hit on each other on and off missions, and them not noticing _any of it_, she really didn't need to know what could possibly be worse than that.

The elevator stopped and they parted ways. Once in her room she settled down on the couch, her back to the wide window and Keiji's greybox in hand, but paused.

The look of pure panic on Shepard's face when they walked into the bathroom… that was something that was going to stick with her for a while, mainly because she _knew_ the feeling. That hopeless weakness of not knowing _what_ to do, just praying you made the right choice… and she hoped Shepard never had to feel the same lost that was still echoing in her.

She hoped they could find happiness, as they faced a set of trials Kasumi couldn't even begin to imagine...

Kasumi fingered the ring under her glove, feeling the hard stone and smooth metal easily as she started at nothing before she pulled on her visor and turned on the greybox.

**End Part I: Sickness**

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**A/N:** This story runs smoother to me with two distinctive parts. So the next part ('Health') is just the next chapter, but a time jump. It might be a minute before the next few chapters are posted, since I'm extending them.

A BIG thanks to everyone and their encouragement! Everyone on this site is always so nice; that's why I was so surprised at the beta's behavior.


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